Friday, 16 May 2014

So it happened, like it normally does I go to town to pick up one specific item and return with two huge bags full of beauty goodies for myself! Whoops! Well it happens, I enjoyed it and look forward to using it all too so I thought I would share my joy with you all! I picked this all up in Savers which is a cheap high street store which is full of all the popular high street brands and a few uncommon ones too normally for pretty damn cheap prices!

First up was hair care, I orginally was planning to look for some more shampoo as I have trouble with many if they contain sulphates as it really dries my hair and scalp out and yet again I found nothing, but I did find some hair oils which I always love to treat my hair to! The first one is Hot Stuff Hot Oil and Conditioning Treatment, I have never seen or heard of this before and it was only £1 which can be a bit risky to purchase as it is likely it will not do a lot but hey it's a pound why not try it, plus it comes with 6 sachets for 3 treatments. I also grabbed two leave in hair oils for after I wash my hair and before I style it, I love to have a hair oil/ leave in treatment after washing my hair to keep it hydrated and these both were also only £1 each and claim to smooth and give moisture to the hair with both keratin and Moroccan argon oil.

I also picked up a few facial products, firstly the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, I love using these to remove my make up and give my skin a refresh. I have used a few different brands of Micellar waters but have yet to use the Garnier one so thought I would give a go. I also picked up their soothing cleansing lotion which I love to use after a oil/ balm cleanser to remove any residue and just leave my skin super soft. Last for facial skin care I picked up these Cleansing Nose Pore Strips from Beauty Formulas, when I was a teenager I would always use these to unclog my nasty little nose pore and when I saw them I thought I really must use them again as I used to love them, I'll let you know if they still live up to my old expectations.

On to body care I firstly needed some body soap bars, I am a complete convert to these at the minute as again the sulphates found in many shower gel type products really play havoc with my skin and soap bars like these contain none! The ones I picked up were from Dove and they are their Shea butter formula with a vanilla scent, what more could you want. I also got a Shea butter Intensive 7 Day Lotion from Garnier which again smells amazing, I have never used the intensive 7 day range so looking forward to trying it out. Finally a pretty exciting purchase the St Moriz Self Tanning Mouse, now I'm pretty sure I have previously said how much of a failure I am at self tanning but I have heard so much about this tan and how fool proof it is, and at just £2.99 I couldn't say no and had to pick it up to try... Fingers crossed!!

Following on from body care I did pick up a Nivea deodorant which I have used a number of times although still haven't found that one I really love and works wonders but it'll do for now. I also picked up another teenage goody I always used which is the Soo..? Kiss me Body spray, I still love the scent of this, it's quite light and not too fruity or too flowery just simple for a day to day spritz. I also grabbed two nail varnish removers purely because I was running low and needed one contain acetone and one without due to me currently have gel nails meaning I can still remove my toe polish with out ruining my gels and as they were there and pretty cheap..in my basket they came!

Finally all my little odd ball product I picked up, my standard cotton pads, hair ties and clips because you can never have enough but I also got a mini travel bottle set which are always super handy for travelling and decanting my favourite things with out lugging around the entire products. Also something I was far too excited for a body/ shower puff but it has a handle! I'm not sure why this was so fascinating to me but the thought of it just seems so more efficient and entertaining so I'll keep you updated on my new shower friend. And that's all! A super huge haul for you, hope you enjoyed my little finds, have you picked up anything good recently? Let me know! Thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x

Recently there has been a lot of talk over the blogosphere on sulphates, what they are, what they do, should we use them, should we not and I thought I would share my personal experience with them and my views. As a teenager I suffered with a dry scalp and patches of dandruff but being unaware of various ingredients and products to help I just carried on with life like there was nothing I could do to help and that was it I had a dry scalp for life worry over. However as the years went by I would go through stages of it getting worse, being itchy and irritated and of course getting the dreaded flakes. I started to have a little research and came across the terms sulphates and it all changed from there.

The official name for sulphates is 'sodium lauryl sulphate' and 'sodium laureth sulphate' and these are what you will want to look for on ingredients lists of you beauty products if wanting to avoid them and shockingly they are usually the second or third ingredient! Sulphates are a cheap ingredient to make products lather and foam up helping to remove dirt and grease which ok sounds great but because they are so strong leads to irritating and stripping the skin. This ingredient is mostly found in shampoos and body washes/ shower gels but worryingly also in car garages and car washes for their strong de-greasing properties.

Some products can contain up to 30% sulphates which is pretty dangerous as it is so irritating to the skin, common side effects of using products containing sulphates include scalp irritation, eye irritation, dry and fuzzy hair and even inflation of the skin including hands and arms. However the chemicals can then also be absorbed further in to the body which can also cause some issues with pms and menopausal symptoms because it mimics the female hormone oestrogen. There are even articles saying it can increase female cancers but wether you believe the serious life complications it is completely up to you. On the other hand many. people say using sulphate free products can be just as dangerous as they simply replace the sulphates with other chemicals which can be just as harmful.

I personally prefer and am happy using sulphate free products as they don't irritate my skin and really improved the condition of my skin and hair and my dry scalp has completely gone! Currently there aren't a huge amount of easily accessible brands which are sulphate free however I have found a few which are both from the cheaper and higher end of the market. Firstly the brand 'Naked' is 97% natural and I believe all their products are sulphate free and range from around £4 - £7 which I love! Cheap and cheerful! Loreal have also recently released their 'Ever...' Product ranges such as 'everriche' for nourishing, 'ever pure' for colour care and moisture, 'ever sleek' for smoothing and moisture and finally 'ever strong' for reinforcing and vitality which all are sulphate free and range between only £6 - £8! There are also some higher end brands such as 'This Works' which can range from £8 up to £20 so there really is something for everyone out there and for someone who does suffer from any sort of irritation it's something I always recommend people to try.

Have you ever suffered from issues from sulphate containing products? Or have any other brands that are free of the nasties that you would recommend? Let me know! Thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x

Tuesday, 22 April 2014

Yet again the month has flown by and my little parcel of goodies has arrived, I'm pretty sure I say this every month but I have no clue where this year is going! This months box has the theme of sweet treats and looks like spring/summer essentials that everyone will want and need. At first opening I wasn't hugely impressed as there was only one real full sized product and the others did just look a little poor, is this just me? Am I getting too picky? Although once I dug a little deeper I did feel much better about what I got.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Tresemme Instant Refresh dry shampoo as it was the biggest product in there, I have heard a lot about this as when it was launched a couple years ago it was the big rival to the beloved Batiste. I had never tried it as i'm not a huge dry shampoo user but it is the traditional white powder that absorbs the excess oils in the hair and does have a really nice fruity and fresh scent. I received a MeMeMe make up product too this month which is usually always a good product in my eyes as there is nothing like experimenting with new makeup. I got their Cheek and Lip Tint in the colour Cupids Kiss which I think is an adorable name and really suits the gorgeous pastel ice cream pink colour. However although it looks a great colour in the bottle the colour pay off on the skin is pretty poor. For a tint I would expect much more pigmentation but instead you just get more of a very subtle highlight and glow.

Monu is a company I have regularly received products from in previous boxes and usually have really loved so I was excited to see a massage and body oil from their MonuSpa range, I'm not sure if the spa range is new but I have never heard of it before so was looking forward to trying it out. The oil is their Warming Ginger Massage and Body Oil and is able for use for the body, the bath and for massage too. I love an oil like this that can be used in the bath because like this one they turn your water all milky and really kick off their amazing scent. This oil does have a strong ginger smell so i'm not sure if I would want to use it as a body oil but it would be great for a really uplifting and energising bath, plus it contains calendula, jojoba seed oil and vitamin A and E which are all really great for the skin. Another product I was looking forward to trying was the QV Skincare Gentle Wash as it is a wash for the body, face, hands you name it and is so gentle its perfect for sufferers of eczema and dermatitis. I think I have mentioned before that I suffer with eczema on my hands from my job so i'm really excited to try this out and see how is works.

The last product I wasn't over joyed with, which was a lip brush from Emite Make Up. This is a brand which I have never heard of before so in a way I guess it is good to have an introduction to a new make up brand however I don't think this is the best product to show them off. Personally I don't think I have ever used a lip brush to apply any products however it does feel a top quality and super soft brush so maybe i'll make the effort to use one now. And that's that, my box for this month. How was yours this month? Or have you tried or want to try any of the products I got? Thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x

Wednesday, 16 April 2014

I feel its been a while since I have done a favourite's post and as were coming into much warmer spring and summer time I thought I would update you on what I have been loving recently. Firstly a couple of body products, the first I received way back at Christmas time and been loving using it ever since and it is the Soap and Glory Righteous Butter. Firstly this smells amazing like the rest of the Soap and Glory lines do, it is a fairly thick moisturiser but spreads beautifully and sinks in really well too. What I love the most about this is that the smell lingers on your skin for so long you could get away without wearing any other perfumes or fragrances! Amazing! I got this in one of their Christmas gift sets but it can be purchased on its own here for £10.50, its not super budget friendly but still worth a try.

On the subject of perfumes I have also been loving Yves Rocher's new L'eau Moment de Bonheur, this is a fairly recent buy of mine which you can see in my previous Yves Rocher haul here. I have been a fan of their original Moment de Bonheur perfume for a long time and have purchased it over and over again and this one smells just as sweet and delicious but has a lighter fresher smell making it perfect for spring time. I only have one skin care product this month as not a huge amount of my routine has changed however I recently picked up the Olay Instant Hydration eye cream and have been really enjoying using it. This eye cream claims to have an anti wrinkle formulation and is targeted to women over the age of 30, obviously that clearly isn't me but in my eyes there's nothing like starting anti aging products young! It has a really lightweight almost gel/ cream formula not making it too heavy for the eye area, it blends really smoothly and does make my eyes feel really lovely and hydrated.

I have two make up products this month which I think are real staples for the spring time the first being one of Maybelline's Baby Lips in Peach Kiss, this is one of the tinted balms which gives a light peachy shimmer on the lips which I find is perfect to have in my handbag for a quick application to make me look a bit fresher during the day. It also has a lovely soft formula which stays moisturing and glossy on the lips for a long time and has a gorgeous sweet peach scent too. My second product is a blush from HD Brows which I received in a Glossy Box a while back, firstly the packaging is beautiful in an all black case, it has a mirror inside and best of all a huge pan of the product. This has been my go to blush for weeks and weeks now as it gives a natural rosey pink flush to the skin and has a very gentle shimmer too so it is really great for giving the skin a little lift and highlight. A definite make up staple for me.

To finish off I have two random favourites the first being a cereal, yes I know a cereal what a weirdo. This cereal is from the free from section in Tesco as i'm one of those gluten free ones too! It is their Choco Nut Pillows which even if your not gluten free I would still recommend as they are literally amazing! I feel i'm a little too over excited about some cereal but y'now who doesn't want some crunchy chocolatey goodness first thing in the morning! On a slightly less childish note my last and final favourite of the month is Bones, this is a tv series which I have been catching up on from their box set and I love it. Its all about detective work and solving murders and mysteries all from the evidence left form the victim, it sounds pretty grim but trust me its not, its a real must see. There we have it my current loves in life which I imaging will stay favourites for a little while, what are you loving at the minute? Let me know! Thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x

P.S a picture before you go of what happens every time I try to take my pictures.. cheeky animal!

Tuesday, 15 April 2014

A fairly recent find and love of mine is the intensive masks from Herbal Essences, which I guess you probably got from the title. These masks can be easily found on the high street, in drug stores and most supermarkets too and will only cost you between £3.50 and £3.99! There are 3 different variations of them which aim to provide moisture and hydration for different types of hair and possibly slightly different results!

The first one I tried was the Beautiful Ends which claims to give split end protection to the hair. It contains red raspberry extract which gives it a gorgeous red berry fruity scent which amazingly lingers on the hair after rinsing and drying. It also really does give the hair great hydration and shine. After using this and loving it so much I decided to pick up the other two intensive masks to give a whirl and see if they gave as good a result!

A fairly new range from Herbal Essences is their Bee Strong line which is all about aiming to strengthen the hair which this intensive mask also claims to help to do. It contains honey and apricot extract which creates a lovely sweet honey almost caramel like scent. Honey is commonly known as a great natural moisturiser so a great ingredient to have in a hair product and it really does feel lovely on the hair. Unfortunately it won't make you or your hair look like Nicole Scherzinger like in the advert but its still pretty damn good.

The final mask, Hello Hydration is packed full of coconut extract to help deeply nourish the hair. This one smells like a dream, a tropical island, piña colada kind of dream. It obviously has a coconut scent but it isn't overpowering or synthetic at all and smells really fresh too. Again the same as the other two masks the gorgeous smell likes to stick around on you hair, which I love! Nothing better than a reminder of how good you smell, right? There you have a little snippet of my new love for these products, they smell amazing, last forever and make your hair feel beautiful too. I might have to try the other products from the lines to see if they live up to the expectations. Have you ever tried these or any other Herbal Essences products? Or any others you think I should give a go? Let me know! Thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x

Tuesday, 8 April 2014

So its the end of a month, I have used up a bunch of products and I'm going to share my little run down of what I thought of them with you lovely lot. I'm going to start with hair care as I used up a few hair related things this month. Firstly Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructer this product has been a favourite of mine for a little while, it is a deep conditioning treatment which leaves you hair feeling lovely and soft and smelling great too. Most of Aussie's products smell pretty good but this is by far my favourite, it smells super sweet almost like marshmallows and candy and all sorts of sugary goodness so if you not a sweet fan you may not like it but to anyone else I would definitely recommend this to you over and over.

Another deep conditioner I used up was by Herbal Essences and was their Beautiful Ends deep conditioner, this is used just like the Aussie one after shampooing on the mid lengths to ends of your hair but left on for a few minutes, a little longer than normal conditioner or if you like me much longer. This is my preferred way of always conditioning my hair as I roughly on wash 3 times a week so it doesn't get stripped and 2-3 times a week is the perfect way to use a hair mask like this. Plus you can get both of these for under £5!

Sticking with the hair care theme I also used up my Good Hair Day shampoo from Temple Spa which isn't as purse friendly as it is £8.50 for a 200ml bottle. Temple Spa is predominantly a spa brand explaining the price tag but also shows within the quality of their products as they have a beautiful aromatherapy scent and also are all paraben and sulphate free which is always a plus isn't it? Another Temple Spa product I do love is their Dual Act cream cleanser, this is perfect for combination skin types as it helps to deeply cleanse the skin without being harsh or drying out the skin. It can also be used as either a wipe on and off with cotton pads cleanser or washed off with water and a muslin cloth for a slightly different cleanse and effect.

A product I always repurchase is the Dove Go Fresh deodorant in Pomegranate and Lemon Verbena, this has a super light and fruity scent which is slightly powdery too which I personally like as it really does make me feel nice and fresh. It says to contain 1/4 moisturising cream with vitamin E and also will provide 48h protection which I don't think I really believe but this is still one of my favourite deodorants I will definitely pick up again. A very spring appropriate product I started using again and used up was my Loreal Sublime Bronze Dry Mist tan, I think this is the perfect time of year to start building a light tan is your a pasty queen like myself and this has to be one of my favorite tans I have used too. Being a spray it is super easy to apply, has pretty much zero drying time and this one actually doesn't have that biscuit fake tan smell! Bonus! My final thing I finished up this month was a box set goody back from Christmas time which is the travel size Soap and Glory Flake Away scrub which fits pretty well with the tanning too. Spring is the time you want to start scrubbing the winter flakes away and ready for some sunshine. This has the typical Soap and Glory scent which I adore and is also a pretty gritty harsh scrubs which might not be for everyone but I really loved using.

That's all for my little bin of empty goodies this month. What have you used up recently? Have you ever tried any of the things I've used up? I would love to know! Thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x

Thursday, 3 April 2014

Hello there, now what better way to get back into the swing of things then by showing you lovely people what I have recently purchased as that is a thing I tend and love to do! Yves

Rocher is a brand I have loved for a while now, especially for their skin and body care plus they constantly have great offers and deals on which make everything much more appealing to add to your basket.

The main reason I made a new purchase was for a perfume, their 'Moment de Bonheur' has been a scent I have purchased over and over however they have just released a new spring fragrance ' l'eau Moment de Bonheur' which is very similar as a sweet light fragrance however with a much fresher scent with notes of centifolia rose and sweet apple. I purchased the 50ml bottle which I believe is the biggest size they retail however is currently on offer with a 15ml travel size atomiser for free and is still 45% off! The perfume would normally cost you £38 but for the two they are selling it currently for just £21.50 so if your looking for a new spring scent I would definitely recommend checking them out.

I also picked up a couple bath time accessories with a shower puff loafer which is my go to way to use most shower creams and washes as it provide a gentle everyday exfoliation and helps to make a mammoth of bubbles! However if I wanted a little harsher scrub I would use an exfoliating glove as they are a little tougher and scratchier but really get the job done, they are also much easier to use with scrubs too!

My three final little products I didn't actually buy they were my free gifts with purchase, I think this is a really lovely thing for companies to do because it enables their customers to try other products from them which is great for self promotion but also because the customer i.e me or you might end up loving it and if your anything like me most people will spend that little bit extra to get that little something free too. I received a mini cherry blossom shower gel which smells amazing, a sample purity mask which I'm really looking forward to trying and also a sample of their 'Youthful Glow Foundation' which i wasn't over the moon with receiving but that's the risk you take with random samples and I'm still willing to give it a good try.

And that's my mini haul all done for you, hope you enjoyed a sneak peak into my basket and come back to see some more in the very near future. Everything I purchased and more you can find on thier website here. Thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x